People have varying views and opinions on gift registries. Should you or shouldn’t you. Should you mention it in your invitations/on your website etc. Is it materialistic having one.
For us we decided to be practical and realistic. As soon as we announced the date, we were asked where we were registered as people wanted to know. From a guest perspective it definitely helps me when it comes to buying gifts for the happy couple. I’d rather bless them with something they need, rather than what I think they need.
Thinking about the different view points on registries, Meg over at A Practical Wedding wrote a good post about the meaning of the registry, when she was struggling as to what route to take…
“And then I got it. The registry has nothing to do with the wedding. Our great-aunts and grandmothers are on to something when they insist that you register so they know what pots you want. The registry is not about the wedding, the registry is about the marriage. For us, we hope that means a long life with a passel of kids, a ton of family gatherings, and lots of cooking. So for us, that’s what a registry is about – letting our friends and loved ones build that home for us. The registry is like a barn raisin”.
So for our friends and loved ones who kindly want to help us build our home, we have chosen to register at House of Fraser. There were many places we considered, Debenhams, Selfridges, John Lewis but after researching and thinking about what we needed, where we actually shopped, House of Fraser came up trumps. The girls there have been super helpful along the way.
For those of you coming behind…
My top 10 registry tips
01. When you go for your scanning appointment, wear flat shoes! We went after work and foolishly I chose chose style over comfort. Bad mistake. You will be walking, walking and walking some more. Comfort is key.
02. Make sure you eat before you go. After about half an hour we were beginning to get distracted as it was dinner time, our tummies were rumbling and we hadn’t eaten. You quickly lose the excitement of using a scanner gun when you need to eat!
03. Have a rough idea of the sorts of things you want to add on your list. Trust me, it makes it easier when you’re walking round a huge department store.
04. Have a look at what the end user will see. We like Next, but because it was such a pain to register our gifts online and the final list, was just that; a list with no pictures. It wasn’t very appealing. We decided to ask for vouchers from Next instead. I know from personal experience of buying wedding gifts, I tend to go to the list that is most visual. It helps with the purchasing.
05. Choose a store which you actually like! Seem obvious but you would be surprised with the amount of people who register at stores because it looks ‘cool’. Don’t choose somewhere because everyone else is or because you feel you have to go there. If you’re an Argos person, register at Argos. If you like Selfridges register there. John Lewis is a popular choice here in the UK, with excellent customer, but I’ve never shopped there in my life, except to buy wedding gifts for other people.
They do make great adverts though!
06. If going for a scanning appointment is not your thing, most wedding lists will allow you to add your items online. The staff at House of Fraser have been fantastic so far, answering any questions we have, responding back to emails very quickly.
07. If you’re not a fan of China and suchlike, there is no need to put it on the list. Again at the end of the day, you will either use it or you won’t and in this age of de-cluttering you want every item to have a place and a use.
08. Don’t limit yourself to the obvious. Some wedding lists give the opportunity for your guests to buy experiences. On our list we have included a weekend away for two at the Malmaison Hotel. Something a bit different but a great little gift for when we settle in married life and want to get away.
09. Choose items in different prices ranges so that your guests have options. Also register for enough things so that your guests have options. To help combat this we have kindly asked for gift cards for other stores as well if that's easier for people
10. Check what happens after the event. How long does the list remain open for? When do they deliver the items? What happens if you need to change something? All good questions before you sign up!
Enjoy!
Any more tips from those seasoned pro’s out there?
You can see what else Mrs O has to say over at her blog Planning, Praying and Playing, where she documents her mission to plan, pray and play her way through life. With a fine balance of humour, pretty and 'real-talk', she tells us what it's really like to be a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a 'tryna-b-Christian' and newest of all, a *wife*.
